I've Been Byrned
by AgentT
Summary: There's a new girl in town. And she's drawing a lot of attention.
1. I've Been Byrned

  
  
I've been Byrned  
  
She ran through the streets, panting. Her hair flowed behind her. She cursed as it stuck to her wet face. The rain cascaded down in sheets as if the earth had gone through a bad breakup and decided to let go right then. The torrents hit her like a brick as she ran into alleyways and through the crowds.   
  
She looked behind her and cursed as she saw the men running through the people, trying to find their way.   
  
She stopped at a small shop on the corner of a busy street and went in. She ran through it, being careful to avoid the barrels of merchandise and she exited out the back door through the stockroom.   
  
"Find her." One man said, and the other men following him dispersed, some staying in the store, while others leaving to wade through the tormenting rain.   
  
The little ding of the door chime sounded and the leader turned around.   
  
"Sir." He said, suddenly a bit nervous.   
  
"Find her or your life is on the line." The other man said, shaking the raindrops off his trench coat. "She's vital to us."   
  
"Yes, Sir." The agent said, and focused new attention to his walkie-talkie.   
  
"All units, spread out." He said. And they obeyed.   
  
"Roger." A younger man said. He was in the alley behind the small store and he wished he could take his tie off. He hated the smell of mold that infested back here. He covered his nose and took a sweeping look. Seeing no one, he left the alley.  
  
He didn't see She balancing herself straight upside down on the metal bar overhead.   
  
There was a muffled sneeze. She jumped back down. She flexed her arms a bit to get the stiff feeling out of them. Then she heard the agents again and ran off.   
  
  
"I can't believe I have to work today." Original Cindy said, brushing rain off her jacket. "Normal's got to be trippin"   
  
"No doubt." Herbal rode into the locker area.   
  
"This is sick man." Sketchy said, walking to them. "I just saw one of the earth's lowest creatures crawl past the water fountain."   
  
"Love and respect all creatures, man. No matter how low they may be." Herbal said. "And meanwhile, why don't you get Normal so the buildin can get cleaned."   
  
Original Cindy looked at Herbal. "What happened to loving and respecting lower creatures?"   
  
"I said love and respect. I didn't mean I wanted them around me." Herbal waved a finger.   
  
"Whatever, Brother." Her pager beeped angrily. "I'm out. Catch y'all later."   
  
As she left to go out into the rain, Max rode in, baseball cap on and a satisfied smirk on her face.   
  
"What's got you so happy?" Sketchy asked as she got off.   
  
"This guy around the corner tried to steal a kid's money."   
  
"And you showed dem a thing or two, eh Max?" Herbal said, grinning.   
  
"Sure did." She said. "So what's up?"   
  
"Roaches." Sketchy said, pointing a thumb to a back corner of the Jam Pony Headquarters.   
  
"Gross." She said. She turned around as Normal walked out of his little center of operations shouting into a phone.   
  
"I see Normal's being as cool and collective as usual." She said, watching him stomp back into his cubicle.   
  
"Somethin about a parkin ticket." Herbal said, shruggin. "It's our lives on the line if we don't ride in the rain today."   
  
Max straighted. "Speaking of riding in the rain, guess what I found." She took out the day's newspaper and flipped to a page.   
  
"Isn't she the girl you were-"  
  
"Alia?!?" Herbal almost shouted loud enough to chase out the roaches and Normal…along with his job.   
  
"Yo, didn't you two break up weeks ago?" Sketchy asked, looking at the picture.   
  
"I'm sure of that." Herbal said, nodding.   
  
"I'm sorry, but I guess she's riding in the rain with some rich guy down in LA now." Max shrugged. Then her mind went to the newspaper. She wondered whether that was the way they thought about her and Logan. He could give her anything she wanted. And they knew that. And Max knew they didn't trust him. But they could.   
  
"You know what?" Herbal said, throwing the newspaper down on the couch. "Forget her. The good Lord tells me to move on." He smiled.   
  
Then through clenched teeth, "And the Lord says she'll be seein no more o' Herbal Thought when she comes a' crawlin back."  
  
And with that, Herbal got on his bike and left.   
  
Max and Sketchy watched him leave. "That went good." Sketchy said.   
  
"I'd say so." Max nodded.   
  
  
"Where the hell is she?!?" A man shouted as he entered the conference room. Agents scrambled to answer him or to hide.   
  
"Uh sir.." One agent said.   
  
"I told you to find her. It's raining and she's been on the run for 3 days. You can't catch a simple girl, then I'll find someone else who can."   
  
"Mr. Lydecker, sir." The agent stammered.   
  
"Agent Robinson, you're off the case." Lydecker said as he walked out.   
  
Robinson sighed and started to gather together the scattered pages of information lying on the large conference table.   
  
Suddenly, he felt an arm around his neck and a hand at his mouth.   
  
"Long time no see." A voice said.   
  
And Robinson saw black.   
  
  
"Max!" Logan said as she walked in. He smiled and grabbed a file from his desk as she walked into his computer room.   
  
"What's up?" She asked.   
  
"Take a look at this." He gave her the file. Max opened it. The first page was a slightly blurry picture of a girl with black hair in mid-kick.   
  
Max read a few lines from the file Logan had given her.   
  
Her eyes went wide.   
  
She looked at Logan. "Is she-"  
  
Logan shook his head.   
  
Max started to feel her heart sink…but Logan stopped it.   
  
"But she is very close."   
  
Max turned to confusion. "What do you mean?"   
  
"This girl. In Los Angeles last week, a local shopkeeper reported a strange girl run through her store with several very angry-" He handed her another picture. This one had two agents in suits and ties running through the store. One of them had tipped over a basket of oranges.   
  
"Unknown government agents. She ran out the back alley and they lost her. But they almost got her."   
  
"And this has something to do with-"   
  
"Earlier in the night, she attacked three agents and badly injured one of them. Max, she caused kidney failure with a kick."   
  
Max shrugged. "So? I mean, if the timing is right and given the right location, anyone can damage an internal organ."   
  
"Not anyone." Logan said. "A barcode."   
  
"She doesn't look like any of my sisters." Max shook her head. But through her skepticism, she started to think. She hadn't seen any of them in such a long while…she didn't even recognize Zack. How could she say that this wasn't Jondy, or Tinga?   
  
"Okay, so I give you the benefit of a doubt." She said. "What's next?"   
  
"So I thought these guys looked kinda like FBI. So I got into their database and found field reports from an Agent Aaron Robinson, who took the word 'vague' into another level. He's got a field report that only describes what he's chasing after as the 'subject'. I gather that he didn't even know her name."   
  
"So, how do we know he was talking about her?" Max asked.   
  
"We don't. But it seems close. He was in Los Angeles the same time she was and we have a pretty good confirmation that there was someone of his description in the store that night." Logan wheeled to his computer and tapped in a few commands.   
  
"Where is he now?" Max asked, looking over the man's shoulder. She could smell the cologne on his sweater.   
  
"Unfortunately, no one knows. He was abruptly called off the case a few days ago and he disappeared. No word from his apartment and his phones haven't been used in days."   
  
"So maybe this girl got to him first." Max said, looking at the picture again. She couldn't make out any distinguishing facial features.   
  
Then something caught her eye.   
  
"Hey." She absently placed a hand on Logan's shoulder. He turned around.   
  
"Check this out." She said, pointing to a small spot on the girl's wrist. It was a dot, small enough to go unnoticed.   
  
"I didn't notice that." Logan admitted. "Those eyes are good."   
  
"Didn't know you noticed." She said, smiling. Her pager beeped. Max checked it and then put the photo on his desk. "Gotta blaze. Catch you later."   
  
Logan waved as she closed the door.   
  
Then he set to the task of finding the mystery girl.   



	2. I've Been Byrned

  
I've Been Byrned  
  
  
"Where have you been?" Kendra asked as Max came into Jam Pony. Max stopped her bike in front of her locker and shrugged.   
  
"Why?" Max asked, noticing Kendra's slightly more tense posture. That, and she rarely showed up at Jam Pony.   
  
Kendra looked around for a minute before her eyes went back to Max. "There were some people that came by."   
  
Max's eyes grew dim. "Who?" She asked.   
  
Kendra shook her head. "I don't know. But they had suits on and they didn't look like they were selling pots."   
  
Max nodded. "What did they say?"   
  
Kendra shook her head and some of her hair fell from its place. "Nothing, really. I mean, they were really quiet. Just asked me if I had seen anyone suspicious."   
  
"Weird." Max said, closing her locker.   
  
  
"Do you think you can hide forever?" He said, grimacing. The blood from the gash on his forehead had dried, but talking still made it hurt. "They're gonna find me. And you."   
  
He said it to no benefit. But he said it anyways.   
  
"You can run all the time. Sooner or later….you'll get tired." His voice got silent towards the end.   
  
"Shut your trap." She said, walking through the shadows. "You're here because I need a few answers. Otherwise, you're useless to me and to your department. Trust me when I say that they don't give a damn about you."   
  
Robinson shook his head. Somehow, he knew she was right, but he didn't want to believe it.   
  
"I know what you're thinking. You're trying to delude yourself into thinking that the department and the whole FBI care about who you are and what you're doing for them…truth is, you're just a fly on the wall full of flies. Why do you think that all your investigations have either come to a dead end or have been shut down? It's them. It's all them. If you can't stop on your own, they'll stop for you."   
  
"What are you talking about?" He asked.   
  
"The Mendoza trial. Did he or did he not kill eight innocent children in 2016?" She asked.   
  
Robinson looked down…he didn't talk about the trial. He didn't even write up field notes. And the ones that were submitted to his superiors were drab and unmoving. They reflected nothing of what he usually though, no trace of the intelligence that he usually exerted into his reports.   
  
"He killed eight innocent lives….and he walked." She said, crossing the room to sit in front of Robinson in the dark and empty room.   
  
"Who do you think let the door open?" She asked, shaking her head.   
  
"It wasn't because there was insufficient evidence and you know it. They kicked the door open and let him out because he was valuable to them. You know where he is now?"   
  
Robinson glared at her, his shiny eyes not knowing where to look. He didn't know what she looked like. Lydecker never gave any of them a picture. Just a description.   
  
"He's in a military lab, testing humans for biological diseases that they've created." She said, getting up. "And if he didn't have a degree in chemistry, he'd be locked up by now."   
  
She sighed and sat back down again, this time in a chair.   
  
"Don't think it's your fault. Come on, I see the eyes. That's a lot of regret you're carrying. It's not your fault, really. Everyone makes a mistake once in a while. You made the mistake of thinking that you were somebody in a room full of somebody's."   
  
"Leave me alone." He said, closing his eyes.   
  
"Can't really do that Aaron." She said. "Now…you know something that I need to know and I know something that you need to know."   
  
"What could I possibly want to know from you?" He practically spat out.   
  
"Tons. You never know how small you are until you realize that someone half as old as you are knows three times as much as you do and can learn in an infinitely faster amount of time than you can." She said, with a small smile.   
  
"So how small am I?" He asked, looking up.   
  
She decided to do something at this point. She would stop running.   
  
She walked to the center of the room. Or what Robinson determined to be the center, from the slivers of light coming from the roof.   
  
He saw a shadow block one of the slivers and before he knew it, his eyes were shut and he thought he could never open them again.   
  
When he finally did, he was seeing something he thought he'd never see.   
  
"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to stare?" She said, looking down.   
  
He kept staring at her eyes. "I never had a mother."   
  
"Funny. Neither did I."   
  
  
Logan sat in front of his computer, his hands on the keyboard. They didn't move, though. To tell the truth, he had no idea where to start. It was as if he was suddenly paralyzed from the waist up also. His first train of thought would be to get into Manticore files and look around there. But he did and couldn't find anything. Which was odd, to say the least. Or else it was something that was extremely important. Lydecker wouldn't take any chances after the X5 group escaped. Things would be reshuffled. Countermeasures would be taken. People would be transferred.   
  
Then he frowned. He went back to his last thought. People would be transferred. He suddenly started to type, his energy back and invigorating.   
  
He started to think out loud as he made his way to his destination.   
  
"Where would you put files if you had to stash them quickly and efficiently…and make them pass as employee transfers?" He mumbled.   
  
On his screen, in big bold letters, HUMAN RESOURCES filled the screen.   
  
"Bingo." He said, smiling. Then he set to work.   
  
~*~  
  
Sketchy was on his bicycle, making his way through the streets, and trying to avoid newspapers blowing through. He hated them. If they got stuck to his wheels, he'd have to get off and pull them off his bike.   
  
He was avoiding a section of the classifieds when a girl walked out right in front of him. His foot shot off the bike to stop himself and he tumbled off.   
  
She briefly looked at him before continuing to walk.   
  
Sketchy got up and yanked his bike upright.   
  
"Hey!" He shouted. She kept walking, her hands hugging her body. The cold was harsh this time of year.   
  
Sketchy jumped on his bike and rode up to her. "I almost hit you, you know that?" He said.   
  
She didn't do anything, not even a shrug. It was like she was blind or deaf.   
  
Sketchy stopped in front of her.   
  
She finally looked up at him. "Sorry I got in the way." She walked around his bike.   
  
Sketchy shook his head and rode up to her again. This time, her eyes fiercely glared at him.   
  
"Is there a reason you're following me?" She asked.   
  
"Well, one, I just wanted to make sure you're okay. And two, I mean, you can't just keep walking. It's cold and there's a lot more people with bikes here than the little house on the prairie, you know?"   
  
She shook her head absently. "I can take care of myself." She said.   
  
As she walked away, the wind picked up and her hair fell into her face. She lifted her left arm to brush it away and Sketchy noticed something.   
  
She had a tattoo on her left wrist, palm side. It was small, but definitely noticeable. It was circular and it was an intricate pattern, reminding Sketchy of an old Celtic patch his grandmother used to have.   
  
She suddenly stopped. He head swiveled around and her eyes froze.   
  
Sketchy frowned.   
  
She then abruptly darted into a nearby alleyway.   
  
"Hey, where you going?" Sketchy shouted after her as she ran off. He looked behind him and saw a large military issue vehicle roll down the street. Newspapers held onto it's wheels too. But Sketchy was sincerely thankful that none of the guys in the truck got out to pick them off the wheels.   
  
"Psst. Hey!" A voice called out softly. Sketchy looked back towards the alleyway and the girl he was following waved him to her.   
  
He took one look back at the vechicle, which was now stopping dangerously close to where he was standing and with one swift move he'd like to think Max could pride him on, Sketchy went into the alley, disappearing into the building's colliding shadows.   
  
"You're lucky they didn't see you talking to me." She said.   
  
"Who are you?" He asked, shaking his head. She reminded him of Max, always quiet, always looking around her. And she had the same cat-like quiet about her. Stealthy, but you could always count on her to be there.   
  
"Later."   
  
Somehow he doubted that that was her name.   
  
"Your turn. What's-" His pager went off. He quickly tried to silence it.   
  
"I'm Sketchy." He said, looking back up. He might as well say it. For conversation's sake.   
  
"Well, Sketchy, if you're smart, you're going to leave the alleyway quietly and say that you just got to this street and if they ask you anything, just say you didn't."   
  
Sketchy looked out and saw a few guys in fatigues talk to people.   
  
"Well, what-" He turned back around and saw no one. He shook his head.   
  
"Definitely like Max."   
  
~*~  
  
"Where have you been?" Normal asked as Sketchy rode in.  
  
The usually calm, collected, and generally confused Sketchy looked around him before turning back to Normal. "Nowhere."   
  
"I had you deliver that package three hours ago. Where have you been? These boxes don't deliver themselves." Normal said.   
  
"Normal, chill man. You're gonna have a heart attack before you even have a heart." Sketchy rode past his window.   
  
Normal got out of the cubicle. "What did you say?"   
  
"Hey." A voice said.   
  
Both Sketchy and Normal turned around.   
  
"it wasn't his fault."   
  
Sketchy couldn't believe his eyes. It was her again.   
  
"He was spreading some businesslike cheer." She smiled. And Sketchy noticed how nice it was. It wasn't wide, but it was whimsical. Truthful. Like she wouldn't smile anymore than was necessary because the truth was, she wasn't that happy. Somehow, it was valued. Others would've said it was rude.   
  
"Here." She said, smiling at Normal. He melted a bit, once her eyes went into puppy-dog mode.  
  
"What's this?" Normal asked, holding the package that she had given him.   
  
"Compensation." She said, and then walked to Sketchy.   
  
"And a thank you for making sure I was okay." She said to Sketchy.   
  
Normal unwrapped the plainly wrapped package and his eyes bulged. It was money. As far as he could tell, there was at least three hundred dollars there.   
  
"Uh-uh" was all he could mumble.  
  
Sketchy stared after her as she walked past him and walked towards the door.   
  
"Who is that girl?" Normal asked Sketchy.  
  
"I don't know." He muttered, still staring. She looked back at him and smiled.   
  
There was a clattering from beyond as one of the Jam Pony riders took a spill. Sketchy looked at the direction of the noise.   
  
"hey, what's your name-" She was gone.   
  
"Who is that girl?" He said.   
  
Max almost ran into her. She was wheeling her bike into Jam Pony when she almost hit a girl coming out. She wasn't an employee, Max observed. But as she left, Max caught sight of something.  
  
A tattoo.   



	3. I've Been Byrned

"What's going on?" Max asked as she went into Logan's apartment. As usual, he was in front of the computer. She laughed when she saw the confused and puzzled look he had on his face as he read the information on the computer screen.   
  
"I found some information on our mystery girl." He said. "But a lot of things don't match up."   
  
He gave her some printouts.   
  
"According to these files from Manticore, there was a large group of people who were transferred from a pharmaceutical research base in Lake Orwell, Virginia, a year ago. Among these were several civilians. I did checks on all of the personnel transferred and from those, I narrowed the field down."   
  
"And?"   
  
"And only three were left." Logan said, tapping.   
  
"Ellen Johannes, German bioengineer." She said. Then she flipped a page. "Eric Divans, biologist. And Byrn Pierson." She frowned. "What did Byrn Pierson do?"   
  
"That's what doesn't make sense. No career is listed under her name, and she's not even registered in any databanks. Its like she didn't even exist."   
  
"So she could be our girl." Max said, slowly nodding. "Could she be one of my sisters? We don't have a picture, do we?"  
  
Logan shook his head wearily. "Not yet. I'm working on that. But it would make sense for Manticore to transfer a team of kids and put them under aliases."   
  
Max nodded. "Thanks." She said. Then her mind went back to before, when she almost ran into that girl leaving Jam Pony.   
  
"Hey." She said. Logan looked at her. "Could she be in town?"   
  
Logan shrugged. "No way to tell. She might know Lydecker was in Seattle, so maybe not. But if she didn't know, then after LA, Seattle would be a pretty good city to get lost in." He said. And he shrugged again. "As I said, no way to tell. There are a dozen cities from here to LA she could be in. She might even have even left the country, if she was lucky enough."   
  
"I saw a girl this afternoon. She was leaving the shop. She had a tattoo on her left wrist."   
  
Logan sighed. "It's a long shot. There are a lot of tattoo parlors between here and wherever she might've been before. Do you have a picture or a description?" Logan asked.   
  
"Well, since I didn't stop to pull out a camera…she had black hair. Like the girl we're looking for, that's how I remembered. And she looked like she was really far off. Distracted somewhat."   
  
Logan nodded. "I'll see what I can do."   
  
"Wait. Sector police. They might have footage from patrols."   
  
Logan started to type. The clacking filled the air. "Definitely. We could at least try to narrow it down. I'm entering the criteria on the basis of where the messenger company is, including all possible entrances to that side…did she go left or right when she left the building?"   
  
Max tried to think. "Left I think. Yeah, left. Because when she went out, I was coming in. and I remember she had to go around me."   
  
"And then what?" Logan asked. "Do you know if she went left or right after that?"   
  
"Sorry. Couldn't help you there."   
  
"Do me a favor. Talk to some of your friends. They probably saw her too."   
  
"Consider it done." Max said, getting up to leave.   
  
Logan gave her a wave.   
  
  
When Max went back to Jam Pony, Original Cindy, Sketchy, and Herbal were crowded around the circular table. It was obvious that Sketchy had their attention.   
  
"-And she went into the alley. And I followed her, and then she disappeared. It was weird, man."   
  
"Hey, what's up?" Max asked. Sketchy looked up and his eyes flinched. Max made a mental note of that.   
  
"Sketchy here has a trippin story." Original Cindy said. "So you're sayin that there's a chick walkin around and you almost hit her and you followed her?"   
  
"Have you been dippin into the company tea again, man?" Herbal asked, tapping Sketchy in the head. "I know you like the women, my friend. But the ones who avoid the military…"   
  
"I didn't like her." Sketchy said. "I don't even know her name."   
  
"What did she look like?" Max asked.   
  
"Tall. Long, black hair. Really pretty." He said, smiling.   
  
"Uh huh. Not likin her." Original Cindy said, shaking her head.   
  
"Did she have a tattoo?" Max asked again.   
  
Sketchy nodded. "On her left wrist. It was a circle…some kind of pattern."   
  
Max nodded. "Thanks."   
  
"You know, when I met her, she reminded me of you." Sketchy told Max.  
  
"Really? How?" Max feigned casual interest.   
  
"She was really quiet. I dunno, like she was always looking around. No offense. And she looked like she could snap my neck with her pinkie."   
  
Max almost smiled at that last comment. But Sketchy's information intrigued her too much for her to listen.   
  
"Thanks." She said absently.   
  
  
"What do you think you're doing here?" Robinson asked.   
  
"Nothing. Just hanging around." She said, and sat down.   
  
"Lydecker's in town. You can't be seen here." Robinson sat down across from her.   
  
"Relax. I can take care of myself. That and I just found someone interesting." She thought of the employee she almost ran into. She recognized her briefly.   
  
Aaron looked up. "Who?"   
  
"Not sure yet. But it's all right." She smiled. "It's all all right."   
  
"It better be." He said, smiling a little bit. "Now I know where the streak of fearlessness comes from." He sighed. "I still can't believe my sister was involved with Manticore."   
  
"Believe it." She said, suddenly looking solemn. She looked at her watch. "I'll be back later. Don't wait up for me."   
  
"Bye." He said, waving. When the door clicked shut, he picked his cell phone up from the large desk and pushed a number.   
  
"Yes, hello. I'd like to speak to Donald Lydecker please."   
  
  
"New leads." Logan announced as soon as Max came back in.   
  
"Here too. I have a description." Max said.   
  
"Won't need it. I have an ID from sector police surveillance." Logan said. "Is this her?"   
  
Max took the photo printout Logan gave her. She looked at it for a minute.   
  
"Yeah, that's her." She said. "Is she-"  
  
"Yeah. Byrn Pierson. 19 years old, transferred from Lake Orwell last year…she must've escaped since then."   
  
"Are there any others like her?" Max asked.   
  
"Not sure. As far as I can tell, she's the only one in this transfer who was a part of the projects. And I don't even know if she was the same type of test you were. She might be another prototype."   
  
Max nodded. "She looks capable."   
  
"Definitely. What did your friends say?"   
  
"Sketchy said that she looked like she could break someone's neck with their pinkie finger."   
  
Logan smiled. "Sounds like someone I know."   
  
Max looked at him. "Good to know." She said.   
  
Her pager beeped. "I have to learn to shut this thing off." She said.  
  
"Gotta blaze." She said, seeing it was Original Cindy.   
  
"See you later." Logan said. "I'll try to get more information. I'll page you when I do."   
  
"Don't be surprised if my beeper's off." She smiled.   
  
  
"Normal's goin through the badly painted roof, Max." Sketchy said as she came in.   
  
"What's his deal?" Max asked as she dismounted.   
  
"Somethin about the girl Sketchy talked about." Herbal said. "Who is that girl?'   
  
"I have no idea." Max lied.   
  
"And where did she get that cash?" Original Cindy asked. She nodded towards Normal's window, where he was sitting at his desk, staring at some dollar bills.   
  
"Money?"   
  
"Yeah. She dropped off a big load of cash to Normal." Sketchy said. "He's been staring at it ever since."   
  
"Who's runnin the shop then?" Max asked.   
  
"That's what you're here for." Original Cindy asked. "As much as I like to keep Normal within a 10 foot radius, the job aint getting done. And when it aint getting done, Original Cindy ain't getting paid."   
  
"True that." Sketchy said.   
  
"Even the most pious need to feed his spiritual growth." Herbal said, tapping his book. "And I've stopped growin."   
  
"Don't sweat it." Max said. She went to the window. "Hey, Normal?"   
  
He tore his eyes off for a moment to look at Max. "What do you want?"   
  
"Just wonderin if you have a job for me." She said.   
  
"What?" He said. He looked around and all the packages lying around. "My god, what happened here?"   
  
"You know, as employees of this fine institution, we care about our employer." Sketchy said, coming up from behind Max.   
  
"So we've designated ourselves to helping you out, man." Herbal said, smiling.   
  
"I'd rather you not." Normal said.   
  
"We'd rather we do." Original Cindy said, tapping on his window.   
  
"Here. Send this stuff." Normal said. While he designated jobs, Max crept into the tiny office and scooped up the money. She counted the bills and put them back into the open pack they came in. She moved a few boxes aside.  
  
"Is that Centra-"   
  
"Center. Center street." Normal said.   
  
"I swear you said Centrafi, man." Sketchy said.   
  
"There is no street named Centrafi in Seattle." Normal said.   
  
Behind him, Max was hiding the cash behind some old newspapers.   
  
She raised a thumbs up to Original Cindy and in a matter of 10 seconds, all of them had disbanded. Without packages.   
  
"Whatever that was…I don't want to know." Normal said, and turned back to his money. And it was gone. He shook his head and stuck it out the window. "Anyone have aspirin?"   
  
  
Lydecker sat at his desk, a thoughtful glance on his face. He placed his hands on the keyboard and entered a command. A few moments later, he found the file he was looking for.   
  
"Peek-a-boo. I see you." He muttered. His eyes glowed as he looked at a surveillance shot from sector police files. It was in the middle of a street, overlooking a few citizens and some homeless people around the corner. Even through black and white photography, the streets held a dirtiness about them. Typical of a third world economy such as this.   
  
"We need to leave town." Robinson said, pacing back and forth in the hotel room.   
  
"Why?" Byrn asked, closing her eyes. The pacing was driving her insane.   
  
"Because Lydecker's here. And where he is, you know the troops always follow."   
  
"Not this time." Byrn said, looking down.   
  
Aaron stopped pacing and stopped in front of her. "What do you mean?"   
  
"Did it ever occur to you why I stopped in Seattle? I mean, use that FBI brain of yours. I could've stopped in San Francisco or Sacramento. Why did I go all the way up to Seattle?" She said, shaking her head. "Sure wasn't for the weather."   
  
"What's here?" He asked.  
  
"I-" She paused. "I'm not sure yet."   
  
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He asked, frustrated. "You come all the way up here, right into the Lion's den, and you expect me to trust you on the assurance that you came here for something, but you don't know what?!?"   
  
"Well, when you put it that way…" Byrn said, rolling her eyes. She looked out the window. The last sliver of sunlight was disappearing behind dark night clouds. "I'm gonna go for a ride."   
  
"On what?" Robinson asked her. "You don't have a car."   
  
Byrn looked back at him and smiled as she put her leather jacket on.   
  
"Don't want one."   
  



	4. I've been Byrned

  
"What exactly do you want, miss?" The man asked. He was short, bald, and he reeked of something akin to dirt and rotting vegetables. And Max knew he didn't keep a garden, either.   
  
"I just need a description. Has anyone been in here lately looking for a bike?" Max asked.   
  
"If you're not looking for a bike, then I can't help you." He said, and waved her off. He disappeared behind the fabric curtain that resembled something taken from the floor.   
  
Max groaned in frustration. A sudden bark from outside directed her attention briefly to the German shepherd that was patrolling the gates. She had remembered the shop as where her bike ended up before.   
  
"Stupid police." She muttered as she recalled that event.   
  
Then she recalled how she got it back. And a grin crept up to her lips.   
***   
  
"Where is Max?" Normal shouted from his window.   
  
Everyone ignored him.   
  
Original Cindy rode in on her last run of the day. She took her backpack off and shoved things inside it. When she shut the door, Normal was right next to her, his face in a tight grimace.   
  
She knew that look.   
  
"What do you want?" She asked. "Forget it. I don't wanna know. I just got kicked by a little kid who tried to steal my bike. This is not my day, so unless you got news with the words 'pay' and 'raise' in it, I'm not interested."   
  
She sat down on the cough with a thump. Herbal and Sketchy sat around her, sympathizing. Normal just shook his head and returned to yelling.   
  
"If it makes you feel betta, Cindy, I went down to the bar and this girl asked me if I was looking for change." Herbal said, nodding.   
  
"And what did you say?" Sketchy asked him.   
  
He smiled. "I said no, and she said 'Good, cause I am. You have any?'"   
  
"That's a new one." Original Cindy said. "Who is this chick?"   
  
"You'd like her, I think. Her name's Kate. She lives down the street from here."   
  
***  
  
You know, I got out for one reason: freedom. And what do I get? FBI agents. Whoever decided to shine on me for a moment certainly has a sick sense of humor. I mean, who is this guy? He's so green, I could run him over with a lawn mower and he'd get greener. The only thing I knew about him I found out from bits and pieces that I got out of the FBI files. They definitely decided to lock up the house a bit tighter now, after the pulse. And Aaron Robinson, who the hell is this guy?   
  
Byrn rode through the streets on her newly acquired motorcycle, her hair tied into a ponytail. She hated it when it got in her face.   
  
What am I looking for even? There's something here. Or someone here. I just have to find out who. Maybe the others are here too. Small coincidence, but I've learned to thank God for small miracles.  
  
She rounded a corner and almost slammed into someone else. Someone on a bike.   
  
'Watch it." Byrn said absently.   
  
The girl on the other bike frowned. As Byrn started to speed away from the near collision, the other rider followed.   
  
As Max rode beside her, Byrn glared at her.   
  
"What are you, a stalker?" She said.   
  
"I know who you are." Max said, knowing that she had said more than she knew.   
  
"And who am I?" Byrn asked. Before Max could answer, she made a sharp turn into an alley.   
  
Max groaned and went after her, matching her speed.   
  
The alley was only big enough for one bike so Max had to stay behind Byrn, avoiding the various objects that she had thrown into the alley.   
  
Finally, Max stopped. She watched the other rider speed away. She silently counted to ten. And then she took off in another direction.   
  
Who the hell was that? And why was she following me? She could be one of Lydecker's gang. But she didn't look like it. Lydecker usually brought in the big troops, guns and berets. She looks like she could be one of the others. But she's just probably some random rider.   
  
Byrn stopped to catch her breath when she had lost the stranger. She closed her eyes for a second. When she opened them-  
  
"This is just great, isn't it?" Max said, smiling.   
  
"Who are you?" Byrn asked.   
  
"I should ask you the same thing. Only I know who you are. And I can help you."   
  
"Why should I trust you?" Byrn asked.   
  
"Because Lydecker knows you're here. And he got that information somehow and I'm betting your agent Robinson has a cell phone." Max took a dive into the unknown. Who knows if what she said was true or not? Right now, she needed to get this girl on her hook.   
  
Byrn sighed. "Fine. I'll give you that one. He is a pretty annoying nutcase."  
  
"I want you to meet a friend of mine. He'll help." Max said, getting on her bike.   
  
By the time they got back to Logan's apartment, Max had been thoroughly impressed. The girl could've left at any moment but she stayed on track. And for an added dose of curiosity, Max shifted course a few times, weaving in and out of obstacles. And Byrn had kept right on course with her.   
  
"So this is who we're looking for." Logan said, looking at her.   
  
"Indeed. You found me." Byrn said. "So where's Lydecker? Is he gonna jump out of a cake?"   
  
"Ugh, I hope not." Max muttered. "Logan, Byrn. Byrn, Logan."   
  
Byrn nodded. "So Max informs me that you can help. I'd thank you but I don't know what I need help on."   
  
"Neither do we, really. The Agent Robinson you're with.."   
  
"The guy's an FBI rookie. He couldn't investigate his way out of a box just cause there wasn't enough clear and plain evidence to suggest that the exit was next to him." Byrn said. "But he knows stuff.'   
  
"Like what?" Max asked, sitting down.   
  
"His sister was a part of my group. You're the X5 group, aren't you?" She looked at Max, who looked stunned.   
  
"How did you know-"  
  
"Before I escaped, downloaded files from the main lab. Some random stuff like weapons specs, obstacle training, and cargo shipment. But there were also dossiers, classified documents confirming that there are at least three other groups out there. You were one of the longest running files. I sent the file to a friend of mine. Someone I could trust."   
  
Logan shifted in his wheelchair. "What happened?"  
  
"Lydecker killed her. But she stashed the information somewhere and I need to find it. And Robinson's sister was in my team. Only he's working for Lydecker still. The only clue I have is the note Ash sent me before Lydecker killed her."   
  
Byrn looked into her pack and fished out a notebook. She took out a note and handed it to Max.   
  
There was only a brief note written:  
  
Byrn,   
  
Must be brief. The sharks have found the fish. I'm sorry I couldn't help any more. The gold is stored in the 16th. I can't say any more, but I know you'll figure it out sometime. Don't let them get to you; you're the only one who can help the others.   
  
Ash   
  
"The 16th?" Max said.   
  
"I think Ash meant the 16th kid in the groups. The file listed us all in numerical order. The 16th one…. 42510681384. There weren't any names. Whoever that is, they weren't in my group."  
  
"They weren't in mine either." Max said. She looked at Logan, who was already working.   
  
"Let's see if we can find the third group.   
  
Max went to the kitchen. Moments later, she returned with two cups of steaming coffee. She handed one to Byrn.   
  
"You think Lydecker knows where you are?" Logan asked.   
  
Byrn nodded. 'I know he knows. Robinson's sold me out. He has from the beginning."  
  
"It's not safe to go back now." Logan said. "We don't know when he might spring the troops on you."   
  
"I know. I can leave town tonight." She said.   
  
"We can help you with this. The 16th, whatever it is." Logan said. "Stay here for the night. It's safe here, trust me."  
  
Byrn didn't know what to say. She wished she hadn't jumped so quickly into trusting Max and Logan. She had been blinded by the joy of seeing someone like her.   
  
She nodded though. It was better than leaving again. More running.   
  
Just then, Max thought of something. "Trytophan." She looked up. "Does your group need it?"   
  
Byrn shook her head. "I read that part in your group's file. Somehow, their methods were different, I guess, but the X9 group didn't need it. But by the time we had all entered our early teens, half of us had died of complications. They said that half of us didn't accept the implant."  
  
"What implant?" max asked.   
  
"The X9's were implanted with a biologically engineered cerebral viral implant. It was supposed to keep the kids loyal to their parents. The ones who died couldn't handle the mental strain it put them under. The brain is forced to think under a set of logical rules. That's what keeps them loyal."  
  
"Then how come you're not loyal?" Max asked.   
  
"The ones who escaped, Kessa and I, we had them removed before we were transferred. They were supposed to put them back in after the transfer was complete, but I split before they could. We don't have addictions like the X5 did. The X1 were worse. Their systems were too weak to sustain heavy activity. Lydecker said they were his failures." She looked down in sadness. "Some of them would completely break down after exercises. It took them days to regenerate. As far as I know, Lydecker only 'repaired' a few of them before he decided it wasn't worth it."  
  
Max nodded. 'And one of the survivors has the information. Does Lydecker know you have it?"  
  
Byrn shook her head. Her damp hair sprayed little droplets onto the carpet.   
  
"I covered my tracks. But he wants us back the same as he wants you."  
  
"According to this, the remaining members of the X1 group were transferred to Fort Oahu in Hawaii."  
  
Byrn and Max looked at each other.  
  
"We got ripped off." Max said.   
  
"Hawaii? I'm stuck in the frozen tundra and they go to Hawaii?" Byrn said. "Oh this war just got worse."   
  
***   
  
"Hey--" Sketchy said, looking up. He stopped when he saw the mystery girl.   
  
"This is Byrn." Max said, nodding to the girl behind her.   
  
She had brought her to Crash, thinking that it was the last place Lydecker would look. And she was always right, wasn't she? Besides, anything she could do to keep Sketchy off the topic of the mystery girl was helpful to the rest of the table's inhabitants.   
  
"You're-"  
  
Byrn nodded.   
  
Original Cindy nodded in approval. "Grab a chair, Boo." She said to Byrn. "Maybe you can settle Sketchy's daze and glaze."   
  
Byrn grinned as she sat down.   
  
  



	5. I've Been Byrned

Part 7  
  
Lydecker threw his phone down angrily. If he needed something to be done-well, he sure couldn't count on these clowns to do it. He'd have to do it himself. His kids had managed to escape him many times. He thought about this with a smirk. He had taught them well, that's for sure. Who was he to blame them for using their power against him? He was after all, the one who told them how to evade capture in the first place.   
  
Always have a strategy.   
  
Be prepared to execute that strategy.   
  
Always think on all angles.   
  
Be prepared to leave or modify the strategy as necessary. Never stay by the same rules.   
  
It was this last rule that had propelled them all into a whole other ball game. He had realized what they were doing. They might not have a strategy, unless one counted "run and don't get caught", but they did revise whatever they did have. And it had worked on many occasions.   
  
He chuckled slightly. He started thinking about Max. Among them, she had the most spirit. She was the freethinker. Normally, he would've considered it a liability to any team he had, but this was different. She thought for herself and had never let anyone tell her what to do. Who cares if you're taught everything on earth, but you can't think of ways to use it?   
  
He turned on his computer and sat down. His cell phone rang.   
  
"Sir?" The man on the other line said.   
  
"Yes."   
  
"We have a lead on the subject." He said.   
  
***   
  
"You've got some good friends, Max." Byrn said as they walked down the street. The wind had started to blow once more and the frosty night air seemed to pierce their senses.   
  
Byrn brushed her hair from her face and a man walking past them stumbled into her. He mumbled a sorry and continued walking.   
  
"You think?" Max asked, smiling.   
  
Byrn nodded. "I can tell. They wouldn't leave you for anything. Trust me. It was like that with me and Ash."   
  
"So was Ash-"   
  
Byrn shook her head. "I met her after I escaped. It was still early, I was sure that Lydecker still had the troops on red alert. I needed a place to crash and Ash's mother-she was the kindest woman. She let me in. no questions asked. I was this strange girl with a barcode and freaky DNA and she just let me in. And I met Ash and we became friends."   
  
"When did you tell her about Manticore?"   
  
"A few months after that. We were walking down the street one night, the three of us. It wasn't supposed to be that late, we were held by the sector police. I hate them. When we were finally going home, someone tried to rob us. No big deal, I could take them. But Ash's mother got caught in the crossfire."  
  
"I'm sorry." Max said. She regretted asking any questions in the first place.   
  
"Don't be. I'm tired of people being sorry. It happened, I'm past it. But I kicked that guy's ass good and Ash saw it all. She was scared at first, but we were better after that.'   
  
Byrn smiled a bit as she said the last line.   
  
They reached their bikes, parked end to end, and they both got on.   
  
"You know where to go?" Max asked her, wondering if she should accompany the girl. In case she decided against Logan's place and attempted to split down…  
  
Byrn nodded. "I know where it is.' She said. Max nodded reluctantly. 'Don't worry. I won't leave."   
  
  
Max nodded again and revved up her engine. As they parted ways, Byrn thought of Kessa, the other escapee. She knew she was living in Los Angeles. They hadn't talked in a few months. They tried to keep in contact as much as possible, but it just wasn't possible as long as Lydecker had his guard dogs sniffing around.   
  
Byrn rode through the streets, heading toward Logan's place.   
  
Suddenly, there was a screeching behind her. She looked behind her and her eyes widened. The signature Lydecker hummer was plowing full speed behind her. She turned back around and another one was rounding the corner. She turned her motorcycle to the left and managed to avoid hitting it. She jumped up to the sidewalk and rode past the two facing vehicles into the alley.   
  
Which was a mistake, of course. The alley had to be a dead end. And it was narrow and dark, perfect for someone to hide in, waiting for her.   
  
As she reached the end, she turned off her engine and turned her bike around to face the entrance. She could see the end of the hummer, and shouts. If she needed to, she would run right through them.   
  
***   
  
The cold wind had unfortunately, blown in the opposite direction that Max was going. She thought she was going to be thrown off her bike because of the wind. She stopped at a corner to pick up some things for her and Kendra. She walked into the small store, and nodded to the small elderly woman standing behind the counter. Outside, there was a loud noise of a car going very fast. Max darted outside in time to see a large hummer barrel down the road at top speed, ignoring man and animal as it held troops.   
  
"Damn." She mumbled as she ran out of the store and jumped onto her bike.   
  
***   
  
Byrn's ears perked as she picked up a humming noise. It got closer and closer but she couldn't pick up where it came from.   
  
She cried out as the wall behind her unexpectedly crumbled. Bricks and plaster rained down on her. One brick hit her in the shoulder.   
  
"Dammit!" She yelled as she tried to turn on her motorcycle. No such luck. She tried it again and again.   
  
"Come on, baby." She coaxed through clenched teeth.   
  
In front of her, she could see the Hummer in front of the alley, waiting for her.   
  
Her bike finally came to life and she prepared to make a run for it. She raced through the debris into the street. She heard gunshots and a shout. Lydecker.  
  
"Go after her, but I want her alive!" He shouted to the troops, hitting their guns.   
  
Byrn took this moment to weave through the Seattle roads, going in and out of alleyways.   
  
"She's going north west." One soldier said to Lydecker.   
  
"Good, move in. Remember, I want her alive." He spoke into the walkie-talkie.   
  
Byrn passed the park and started to turn the corner. A hummer blocked her path and she counted at least eight men getting out of the truck. She turned and the tires squealed as she tried to go back into the other direction. No luck. Another hummer had appeared and blocked her path.   
  
"How many of you guys are there?" She shouted at them before turning her bike again and bursting through the alley. She knew Seattle well enough to know that this one led to another street. They would probably know where she is once she reached the end of the alley.   
  
Before she reached the end, she made a sharp left and entered a narrow path, where she soon ended up at a junkyard. Well, it was a junkyard. Now it was a living space for many people, most who have fallen asleep by then. The hummer would wake them up and they would scatter, leaving the soldiers confused.   
  
Byrn parked her bike in a safe location where Lydecker's men wouldn't look.   
  
She reached for the door to look outside to make sure she wasn't followed, but it suddenly opened on it's own.   
  
She jumped back surprised, as Max walked in.   
  
"What are you doing here?" She whispered.   
  
"I saw the hummers." She said. "There are a lot of them."   
  
"Yeah, I know." Byrn looked around her. "They'll be looking around soon."   
  
"Not if you don't lead them to you." Max whispered.   
  
Byrn frowned. "What?"  
  
"Give me your jacket." She said.   
  
Byrn complied confusingly as Max took it and lifted the bottom lining. There, embedded into the lining, was a small square device. One singular light emitted from it, and it was now blinking.   
  
"A tracking signal." Byrn said. "And I didn't even know it."   
  
"Don't worry about it. This one's different from the ones Lydecker used on us when we were young. They're smaller and they're definitely a lot quieter."   
  
"So let's chuck it and split." Byrn advised. Max nodded and Byrn took out a knife. When she had dislodged the square from her jacket, she put the jacket back on.  
  
"We need to kill two birds with one stone." Max said, opening the door and nodding towards the hummer, which was now rolling slowly, patrolling down the streets. It passed by the alley. .   
  
Byrn nodded.   
  
They separated as Byrn walked to the fire escape and jumped up. She caught the bottom rung and pulled herself up, making her way towards the roof, she looked back down at Max who made a hand motion. Byrn nodded and continued to climb.   
  
Max crossed the street quietly and walked through the alley.   
  
She crept along the side of the building until she reached the door. It was old and the paint was chipping. She looked up and saw the 'Lorie and Sons Garage' sign before pulling her hand back and slamming the lock into the door. The wood splintered loudly as she entered.   
  
She unlocked the garage doors and waited for the hummer to pass the alley again.   
  
Across the street, on the roof, Byrn stood at the edge of the building. Her eyes shifted and they zoomed in on the truck, now doubling back.   
  
When it passed, she picked up a large stone from the ground and heaved it at the soldiers. It clattered noisily against the truck, knocking the headlight off.   
  
They looked up angrily and shouted. Some raised their weapons.   
  
Byrn dived down as a hail of gunfire flew past her. She hoped that Max was done.   
  
When it had stopped raining bullets, Byrn heard the thumping of boots against gravel and water.   
  
"Up there!" One of them said. Byrn took in a deep breath and got up. She looked to her left, her right, and in front of her. She peered over the ledge and saw two men standing guard. She rolled her eyes as one of them lit a cigarette.   
  
"Hey, do any of you have a light?" She shouted down.   
  
They looked up, and upon seeing their subject, raised their weapons. But it was too late. Byrn glided down and kicked one of them in the chest. He went down before he even realized that he had dropped his cigarette.   
  
The other one attempted hand-to-hand combat, but it was futile. She pushed him against the brick wall and punched him out. She smiled and waved a goodbye to the slumped mass.   
  
She picked up the man's cigarette.   
  
She looked behind her at the truck, now empty.   
  
***   
  
A hand clamped down on her shoulder.   
  
"Max." She hissed, as the girl waved her into the alley.   
  
As Byrn vanished into the shadows, she threw the cigarette into the truck.   
  
Max watched her do it and shrugged.   
  
They ran for a little while before doubling back for their bikes.   
  
***   
  
"She's stopped at Jackson."   
  
Lydecker nodded and held the walkie-talkie up to his mouth.   
  
"She's hiding, flush her out." He said.   
  
The leader shut his walkie-talkie off and pointed into the dilapidated building. They burst inside, weapons ready.   
  
"What the-"   
  
They found bodies. Tons of them. Their entire Beta unit, unconscious inside.   
  
The leader held up his radio with a shaky hand. "Sir?"  
  
Lydecker responded.   
  
There was a earsplitting blast from outside and the troop of soldiers rushed out to see two female riders explode from the side passageway and ride down the road.   
  
The leader shakily held his radio up again.   
  
"We lost them."   
  



	6. I've Been Byrned

Max sat on the couch, impatient. Logan was talking to a source on the phone and besides the occasional muttering of "yes" and "uh huh", he didn't give much away. She heard the steady pouring of the shower from where she sat. Byrn came out a few moments later, carrying a towel as Logan hung up.   
  
"What's the verdict?" Byrn asked.   
  
"Good news and bad news."   
  
"What?" Max asked.   
  
"Well. The good news is that Lydecker has no idea where you are and he'll try his best to find you, but we're lucky that he doesn't know where to start." Logan said.   
  
"And the bad news?" Byrn asked, dreading the thought.   
  
"Well, it seems that Robinson is dead."   
  
The news struck Byrn like a brick wall.   
  
"Dead?" She repeated slowly.   
  
Logan nodded.   
  
"And idea what he was doing besides being Lydecker's snitch?" Max asked.   
  
"Not really. It's vague at best."   
  
"His sister." Byrn said, her eyes lighting up.   
  
"What?" Logan asked, frowning.   
  
"He had a sister with the X9 group. Kessa. We escaped together. I-I guess he was trying to find her." Byrn said. She lowered her head and closed her eyes.   
  
"The X1's are the one we have to find. One of the survivors has the information. I don't know how and I don't know why…but after Ash and I became friends, I guess she found some of the others from other groups."   
  
"Well, according to my source, Robinson died of a gunshot wound. Apparent suicide, with a note and all, but of course, we know who really did it."   
  
Byrn and Max nodded. Logan looked at his watch. "It's getting late. The superhumans might not need sleep but I certainly do." He smiled. "Help yourself to whatever you need." Byrn and Max nodded.   
  
"Goodnight." Byrn said as he wheeled through the hall. He waved behind him.   
  
After the door to his bedroom was shut, Byrn looked at Max.   
  
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Max asked.   
  
"Certainly not about bunnies and rainbows." Byrn said. "So where off to?"  
  
"Well, first, we need to find more about this Robinson character you've been hanging out with." Max said, thinking. "We need to know who the 16th is. That's the one key in this."   
  
"And you can be sure that Lydecker's looking for it too." Byrn mused.   
  
"Definitely."   
  
***   
  
"Dammit, I want her now!" Lydecker shouted at a uniformed man. "Mobilize the units and find her. Knock on every door if you have to, find her!"   
  
As the units departed in silence, Lydecker picked up the phone. "I know you're out there. You can't hide forever." He said as he dialed. He finished dialing and the phone started to ring.   
  
"Seattle Police Department, this is Matt Sung."   
  



	7. I've Been Byrned

The streets were eerily quiet at the time of morning they were riding in. The noise of their motorcycles hummed through the air. The only thing that was visible at this time was the glowing neon signs that some shops managed to scrounge enough money to keep using. The occasional drunk and homeless person-there were a lot of them around here-stumbled though and tipped the bottle. Since there was no traffic, Max and Byrn rode in the middle of the road.  
  
Neither of them quite knew where to go. The only thing they did know was that there was a surviving member of a very, very messed up group of people. And whoever that was, they had the information and unless they found her, Lydecker would locate them, and who knows what else might happened then.   
  
Who the hell figured that this X1 had escaped anyway? And how did Ash know them? What if they're working for Lydecker? What if he already had the information and they were leading them by a shoe string so he could get to both of them? If that was the case, then they were lambs to the slaughter. She should get out now. Get out while she can. But then again, when did it stop? When would they stop running?   
  
They stopped before an alley entrance.   
  
Byrn shook her head. "This is going nowhere."   
  
"I know." Max said. "We don't know where to start."   
  
"Luckily, neither does Lydecker. But that doesn't help the good guys."   
  
Byrn's eyes widened as the familiar shriek of a police siren ripped through the air.   
  
She and Max quietly walked their bikes into the alley, hiding in the shadows.   
  
Max coughed quietly at the stench of garbage.   
  
The car rolled by and Byrn peeked her head out, making sure no one was making an unscheduled U-turn.   
  
She stepped out and her bike was about to follow when a hand gripped her arm. She gasped and turned.   
  
***   
  
Max debated whether to step out or to stay hidden. She tried to look at who it was who had stopped Byrn.   
  
"My name is Matt Sung, I'm a detective for the Seattle Police."   
  
"Can I have my arm back now?" Byrn asked plainly. He complied and she continued to lead her motorcycle out toward the street, not giving any indication that she had been accompanied.   
  
"I received a phone call a few hours ago from a man working for a hospital, he said that one of their patients had escaped a few days ago. Do you know anything about that?" He asked.   
  
She shook her head. "Can't say that I do. Thanks for asking." She started to get on it.   
  
"Wait a minute." He said, more sternly than before. "Let's go down to the station."   
  
"Why?" She asked. "You don't have anything against me."   
  
"You're out alone at 3 in the morning." He said. "And I have witnesses who saw someone fitting your description with a man who is now dead."   
  
"I have one of those faces." She said, continuing with her task.   
  
Matt frowned. She reminded him of someone. The girl, Max, that Logan knew.   
  
He shook his head. "Do you know anything about this murder?"  
  
"Nothing." She said. "Who called you anyway? Walking around at 3 in the morning stopping strangers and asking them if they murdered anyone isn't something that's noteworthy."   
  
"Look, I can't tell you that, but get out of the street, okay? It's not safe around here."   
  
"I can handle myself." She said. She was surprised that he was concerned. Genuinely so. She figured him for a checkpoint cop, disgruntled and dissuaded by the world around him. Hating anyone and anything that passed through. And she didn't blame him. The world was different now. The ones who remembered it pre-pulse had the luck of experiencing the goodness that existed. But were they really lucky? They had everything taken away in once instance. The suicide rate skyrocketed in the year after the pulse, once people started to think that it wasn't going to change. That it wasn't going to be okay. But some dealt with it. And some lived in it.   
  
"I'm sure you can, but just to be sure, what's your name?" He asked.   
  
She frowned. She could jump on her bike and leave right then, and he wouldn't be able to run to his car in time to catch her. She could hide, after all, Seattle was a big place,. She could disappear. She chose not to though, so that's where not hiding got her.   
  
"Byrn." She said simply.   
  
Matt nodded. "Okay, Byrn, is there a place I can contact you?" He asked, not sure why he was asking.   
  
"Why?" She asked. "You don't have anything against me."   
  
"But as you said, there's a lot of people fitting your description." He said. "I'd like to narrow that down as much as I can."   
  
She shook her head. "I'm just passing through."   
  
"Where are you going?" He asked.   
  
"Nowhere." She said, noticing movement out of the corner of her eye. Her abilities enabled her to concentrate and distinguish Max's signals in the darkness where she had moved to.   
  
"So where are you passing through to?" He asked, shaking his head.   
  
"I don't know. Can I go now?"   
  
"Not until I have a location where I can find you." He said. "I don't want any trouble, I just need a location. A phone number, a street, anything you can give me, so I can find you."   
  
"I didn't murder anyone." She said, smirking.   
  
"I'm sure you didn't. but there's a lot of other things that have been happening. I'd like to have as less murders as possible."   
  
She shrugged. She revved her engine and the bike slowly moved forward.   
  
"Fine." She said, coming to a brief stop. "It's 555-6922." Without another word, she sped out of sight, rounding a corner.   
  
Matt was left staring at the empty street. He walked to his car and climbed in. backing out of his parking space, there was a ring on his cell phone. He picked it up.   
  
"Matt Sung here."   
  
"Mr. Sung, this is Dr. Eckerdly, I was wondering if you had found my patient."   
  
"No, sir, I don't think I have." He said. "It'd be more helpful if I had a name."   
  
"This girl, she's severely disturbed. She has a history of severe schizophrenia, and she's a danger to herself and everyone around her. When I started treating her, she'd tell me that her name was Jane. I've worked with her for about a year and she's gone through every name in the book."   
  
"So what's her real name?" Matt asked.   
  
"Her real name is Byrn Pierson." He said. There was some muffled shouts on the other end. Other patients, Matt guessed. "She's highly dangerous. She can be helped though, so I'd appreciate it if you found her and contacted me immediately. Our hospital staff will come and take care of the rest."   
  
"I'll do whatever I can." Matt said, and he hung up. Something in the other man's voice raised his suspicions. And the girl he just met, she didn't seem like a schizophrenic. He looked at the piece of paper where he had written the phone number she had given him. He dialed it.   
  
We're sorry, this number does not exist. Please try again.   
  
"Damn." He said, crumpling the piece of paper.   



	8. I've Been Byrned

"Close call." Max commented as they regrouped at the intersection where Max had indicated.   
  
"Very. I don't need detectives snooping around my business." She said grumpily.   
  
"Logan can take care of it in the morning." Max said, shrugging. "No doubt, Lydecker called up local PD. By tomorrow morning he'll have his goons closing off the city."   
  
"So where off to now?" Byrn asked, inspecting a small scratch on her bike.   
  
"There's a snitch named Rags down the street at the Skull Bar. Mostly underground drug ring operations and fencers. If anything is going down here, he should know."   
  
Byrn nodded. "All right. Skull Bar it is."   
  
***   
  
"I don't know anything!"   
  
Sheer panic wracked his eyes as Max lifted him a little higher, his neck becoming dangerously close to a shard of glass Byrn had placed on the shelf. It sat precariously, it's razor sharp edge jutting out.   
  
"I disagree." Max said, gritting her teeth. She nodded to Byrn and she took out a bottle.   
  
"That's vintage wine from 1998!" He said, his orbs looking down at the long wine bottle.   
  
"Oh, right, I forgot." Max smiled. "You're a wine nut, aren't you? Well, if you value your wine, then tell us what we need to know."   
  
"I told you!" He said. "I don't know anything!"   
  
Byrn popped the bottle and jumped on the bar top. She took a shot glass off the counter and poured herself a drink. "Want one, Max?"   
  
"No thanks, I'm a little busy. Maybe later." She said, still holding him up. "Rags, I know you must have some information for me."   
  
"This is pretty good." Byrn said, nodding. She sighed and overturned the bottle, dumping it into the small sink on the bar. Rags struggled, one arm ineffectively reaching out, as if he could stop the flow of wine down the drain.   
  
"Okay, okay!" He screamed.   
  
"Byrn stopped pouring and looked up.   
  
"A few days ago, one of Westport's drug guys got killed. Got his neck broken, he didn't even have a chance. His other guys said that a chick did it. And then those commandos were here earlier with guns and stuff."   
  
Max glanced at Byrn.   
  
"What did the girl look like?" Byrn asked.   
  
He shook his head. "I don't know. Westport's guys said she looked like she was sick or something. She started coughing after she killed the guy."   
  
"Where did she go?" Byrn asked, popping a cashew into her mouth.   
  
"I don't know. The drop was next to the harbor though."   
  
Max shrugged and let go. Rags let out a cry as he plunged and hit the floor. He lifted his hand, which was covered in tiny scratches. Byrn threw him a towel and she and Max left.   
  
"Okay, so I guess Lydecker didn't do such a good job curing them after all." Max said. "Harbor?"   
  
"Why do all bad guys like the ocean view?" Byrn asked as she started up her bike.   
  
***  
  
Lydecker slammed his fist down angrily. "I want you to seal off every corner of this city. Starting tonight nothing leaves and nothing comes in. I want guards at every intersection. Nothing leaves, you got me?"   
  
"Yes, Sir." The uniformed officer said, nodding. He turned and started separating the throngs of people into groups.   
  
"Foster, how is it going?" Lydecker asked, putting a hand on his engineer's shoulder.   
  
"It's going to take a lot to seal the city off." He said, pointing to the monitor in front of them. "We'll have local PD covering the edge, since you don't think they're going to make a move to leave, right?" He looked at Donald, who nodded. "Our guys will be all over this city. Not even rats are going to be able to walk around without us knowing."   
  
Lydecker nodded. "Good work."   
  
***   
  
"The water smells horrible." Byrn said, wrinkling her nose. She zipped up her jacket. The chilly air was compounded by the sea.   
  
"Alternate means of waste disposal never does." Max said as they reached the fence. After parking their bikes securely away from the harbor, they wove their way through the maze of warehouses, inspecting each one, just to be safe. Rags was reliable, but not Ithat/I reliable.   
  
With one swift motion, they both raced up the fence and over, landing deftly on the damp concrete.   
  
A whole other maze of warehouses greeted them.   
  
"Let's split up and take the first five." Max said. Byrn nodded and they parted ways.   
  
"Knock, knock." Byrn muttered. She pulled the handle lightly but it didn't budge, locked. Shrugging, she kicked the handle. It crumpled under her boot and she pulled it out of it's hinge. Casting it aside, she poked her fingers into the hole that was left and fingered the lock.   
  
There was a sudden rush of light as she lifted the gate.   
  
"Anyone home?" She mumbled as she walked in. She looked around her, her enhanced abilities letting her see better in the dark.   
  
***   
  
Max lifted a few newspapers. Nothing. She let them slide to the ground and they landed in a heap, a cloud of dust and dirt rising.   
  
"Come out, come out, wherever you are." She said so quietly that it seemed like a thought in her mind rather than something she spoke. But she was sure that the X1 could hear them.   
  
Sighing, she left the warehouse to move on to the next one. She kicked it and it made a horrendous noise, lifting an inch. She walked inside.   
  
***   
  
"This is hopeless." Max said, throwing her hands up.   
  
"Maybe Rags was wrong." Byrn said, looking around. "Every depot is the same. Dirty, dusty, and trashy."   
  
"There's one on the far side of the harbor." Max pointed. "Want to check it out before leaving?"  
  
"Sure."   
  
They arrived at the front door.   
  
"You want to, or shall I?" Max asked. She sighed and examined the garage door. "The lock's been broken. Someone's been in there before."   
  
"Could've happened anytime." Byrn said. "I'm going to check out the roof." She said, looking up. She climb on top of a pile of crates and pulled herself up. Catching the ledge, she peeked over the top before fully climbing above. Moments later, Max joined her.   
  
"The glass is broken." Max said, looking down at the open ceiling,   
  
"Very astute." Byrn muttered. She kicked the shards of glass away and looked around for a rope or cable. "If you can't get in from the front, then what do you use to get down from the top?"  
  
Then she saw it. A piece of rope was peeking out from under a pile of 4 x 4s.   
  
"Here we go." She said, throwing the rope down into the abyss. It was attached to the gutter, which seemed a bit loose, but it would hold.   
  
"Bon voyage." Max said as Byrn rappelled down first. She landed with a small thump on the uneven floor boards and almost tripped. She gave the rope a pull as a cue to Max.   
  
"This place is a hole." Max commented.   
  
"It's not a hole." Byrn stated. "It's more like a ditch."   
  
Max stepped aside to avoid a lump oh some kind. Her shoes promptly kicked something less than solid and a clattering ensued as whatever it was raced away. "I think I just found a new species of mutated life."   
  
"Who would ever live in a dump like this?" Byrn asked.   
  
"You'd have no choice." Max said. She shrugged. "I guess some of us can't live in the world."   
  
"What world are we living in? We run. We stop and maybe settle for a while. But we'll always start running again."   
  
"What about you? Found anyone anywhere? Friends? Family?" Max asked, knowing that the last word was deemed impossible.   
  
"Ash. I met a lot of people down in LA. Nice people, really. You're lucky you have those guys." She smiled.   
  
"Speaking of guys, Sketchy has a mad crush on you, you know that right?" Max asked.   
  
"He couldn't be more obvious if it was stapled to his forehead." Byrn said, rolling her eyes. "It's all right though."   
  
"You wouldn't consider it, would you?" Max asked in disbelief.   
  
Byrn sighed. "I will if we just find this X1!" she said. She stomped her foot down. Big mistake. The floorboard under her gave way and her legs plunged down. She cried out in pain as she pulled herself back up, staring above her at the gap.   
  
"Are you okay?" Max asked.   
  
"Yeah." She shouted up. "There's a room down here."   
  
"I don't see an entrance or anything." Max said, looking for a door.   
  
"I see a little bit of light above me. I think there's a access door on the ground." Max looked at the large gathering of tools and wood around her. "It's about ten feet towards the left." She said. Max walked, looking for anything. She held on to a nearby tower of crates as her shoe caught on an uneven floorboard. She looked down and with much disdain, brushed the dust off.   
  
"I think I found it." She said.   
  
***   
  
"I think Sketchy's going to be very happy." Max commented as she joined Byrn. She had found the door and had used the small fold up ladder that was attached to it to get down into the underground room.   
  
"I said I'd consider it." Byrn said, looking around her. "I think we've found it." She spoke softly as she wandered around the room. She stopped at an old dresser with duct tape down one side. "Check this out."   
  
"What?"  
  
"Newspaper articles." She said. "Numbers…"   
  
Max drew back on her own memory. "She's circling her own barcode numbers."   
  
"But why?"   
  
"People do things when they're sick." Max said, thinking on the things she did when she was in her seizures. "Anything to get through it."   
  
"Just lots and lots of numbers…" Byrn said.  
  
Suddenly a knife whizzed out from the shadows and buried itself into the wall next to Max.   
  
"Get the hell out." A voice called.   



End file.
